The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-02-05
UNIVERSALISTS AND FOREIGN MIS-
SIONS,


salvation ''would never cut the nerve
of missions in any mind with spark
of the love of God in it," and spoke
eloquently in reference to the inspira-
ton of such faith, the Advance is I'M
generous enough to give the following
twist to the words of the preacher:
"Does he (Mr. Gordon) mean to say
that in all the Universalist denomina-
ton there is mot spark of the love of
God? But why is it that they never
think of having missionary society of
their own, like our American Board?"
Passing by the remark in reference
to Mr.. Gordon, and the sly attempt to
make him bear false witness against
his neighbor, we submit that the i'd
vance is not well informed in regard to
the position of the Universalist denom-
ination concerning foreign missions.
When it says in another. place "As for
the "Universalists, we have never heard
"of their discussing the matter of for
"eign missions as if it were any con-
''cern Of THEIRS" it simply reveals an
ignorance which is not creditable in a
religious journal of it's ample preten-
sions. If the Aduance were as well in
formed as it should be in attempting to
write upon this subject, it would know
that the matter of foreign missions is
very largely occupying the attention of
Universalists at the present time that
foreign missions have been quite extern
sively discussed and favorable action
taken by several of our State conventions
in recent years that foreign missions
were considered at our last General
Convention at Akron, and elected a
favorable and sympathetic response
from many of the leading delegates
in that body, both lay and clerical !;
that on memorial from the Rhode Is
land Convention, the subject is now
pending before our Board of Trustees,
and that the denomination very widely
favors the adoption of such measures as
will result in the establishment of such
missions in the immediate future Of
our church. That we have not en-
gagged in this work of conveying the
gospel to the heather before, is due, not
as the Aduance intimates, to any alb
sence of the true missionary spirit in
our church, but to the necessity which
has existed of.using all our available re-
sources for the conversion of those at
home who needed the enlightenment
and hope of our gospel. Now that the
skies are frightening, and we have
so many helpers at home in the crusade
against the pivotal errors of the ortho-
dox church, especially in the work Of
banishing the dogma of endless misery
from the practical belief of mankind,
we may be expected to extend our at
tention to the foreign field, and follow,
we trust, with better comparative re-
suits, where the orthodox churches have
SO honOrably led. When the Advance,
therefore, says we, "never think of hav-
ing missionary society" of our own, it
is unjust to one of the noblest ambitions
developed in our history; and when
it says it has ''never heard of" our ''dis-
cussing the matter" it proves that it
has not kept up with the current
movements of the Universalist church.
When the Universalist church of
America decides to enter upon the for
eign work, it will go to the heather
world with gospel which will, indeed,
be ''good news" to the perishing null
titudes of the old world. 1t will not,
moreover, be embarrassed with the doc
trines which now hamper and render
nugatory the best efforts of the mission
aries-doctrines which are repulsive
alike to Christian and heathen,-and
that are not preached in their awful
fullness, even in Pagan lands, for fear
they will repel rather than attract those
who are sought for Christ. The mission
airy impulse communicated by the faith
which Mr.. Gordon declares so glorious
as to almost "create life under the very
ribs of DEATH" will be found efficient,
we doubt not, to surmount all the diff
culties of the situation, and to win
many souls to the love of God and the
Redeemer whom he has given. The
Advance may rest assured that Univer-
salists are not unmindful of the duties
imposed by the missionary spirit of
Christianity, and that in due time, the
people who now 'think on those things"
will put their thoughts into action and
establish missionary societies of their
own, and go forward in the work under
the favorite motto, which Universalists
can adopt in more comprehensive
sense than their orthodox neighbors,
"Christ for all the world, and all the
world for Christi
When this time comes, shall the Uni
versalist church have the blessing and
God-speed of the AdUance We pause
for reply.